Flames 2, Islanders B Squad 0: So we watched Strome and Kabanov

I want to see in the local papers. Top to bottom.

I had to work tonight and missed the game. What happened with Rahk’s knee—a twist, knee on knee hit, hyperextension, shot block, etc.? And any word on its severity? Can’t seem to find any info on it beyond a brief mention.

The only person on the bench that looked even remotely NHL ready was Dean Chynoweth…and I really mean that.

that this was a team made up of depth players, who lacked real support they would receive. Did not expect to take away anything when very few of those guys will be on the team.

The problem was definitely in his wandering. His butterfly style to stop the puck looks sharp and he showed the quickness to get down on his knees, but the puck playing was gruesome to watch. At times he did look lie he was in a good position to play, and that looked good. But there were so many times that he left the net and couldn’t come back or played the puck to the flames. For me, he’s still a question mark only because I liked what I saw when he stayed in the net.

De Haan was decent, Nabby decent for preseason, Strome looks good but I think he needs to get another year of experience. I didn;t think Reese/Wishart was that bad.

RT @NHL: Watch #Isles Gillies lay booming hit on #Flames Smith in last night’s preseason game bit.ly/qexU9d

lucky them got to play with gillies for the 1st half of the game…
Too bad De Haan’s shot hit the post, maybe would have juiced the boys up… jurcina looked good until he got hurt, was strong on every man he made contact with

the whole game was slow, less than 30 shots i think, not exactly riveting… and no fights… disappointing

We already knew this, but Marty Reasoner was a really great signing.

Ty Wishart looked bad enough to clear waivers.

Matt Donovan is working hard to jump de Haan and maybe Wishart and Reese on the depth chart.

I’m hitching my cart to JP’s Ullstrom Bandwagon. Kid does a lot of things right, and he can bring some size to the lineup. If we hadn’t signed Reasoner, I think he’d be centering the fourth line this year, but I think we’ll see a whole lot of him.

Speaking of guys I think we’ll see at some point, I know he was signed for AHL depth, but Trevor Frischmon played a really good game. I could see him being a short term injury replacement more often than some of the younger guys. Not going to get a lot, but isn’t going to hurt you either

Strome and Kabanov both had flashes, and both have a lot to work on back in juniors this year. Wouldn’t be surprised if they are cut before the next two games.

Nabakov looked very sharp in the net. Not as sharp out of it, but I imagine there’s a lot more rust there. I think he either forces DP to BP, or we’re looking at the three headed monster. Barring an injury for another team, I don’t see a trade in the near future.

Nino was completely absent from this game.

BC salvaged the game with a late COZO. Was nice to see him give that kind of effort there.

Favorite joke from the game thread goes to Cary K regarding Jurcina’s injury, “Hopefully it’s just an anomaly.”

If you missed it, skip the replay. The game was really boring.

+ Game thread was better than the game
- Couldn’t post a comment on LHH all day… and locating my cursor when I use directional arrows hasn’t worked in a month… and poor TMC couldn’t rec anyone last night. These are all things that make Jamie McLennan sound like he knows what he’s talking about… because nothing he says does.
+ I’m back on the Donovan wagon… he seemed to have shaken off the rust a littlle, and is now back in the running for the front seat on the BPT shuttle… not that CDH is giving it up… but…
- Ty “Wissert” (WTF… have I been mis-pronouncing it all this time… or does every NHL broadcaster need a copy of HOOKED ON PHONICS. He looked HORRIBLE tonight. I’m not going to put a lot of stock in that evaluation because he has shown much better… but don’t make a habit of it…. I don’t want another top 5 pick.
- Dylan Reese… at the end of last year Dylan looked like he got the NHL. Last night he looked like the other Dylan Reese. We can’t have that Dylan Reese in the NHL early in the season. Right now deHaan or Donovan are ahead of both Reese and Wishart (or as somebody called them in the game thread, the WIZARD and the PEANUT BUTTER CUP)
+ THE MIGHTY STACHE… highlight reel “SIT YOUR ASS DOWN” hit that could get him on a Shanny Reel as… THIS IS HOW YOU PUNISH SOMEBODY WITH A HIT training segment. Firrst you make your body hard, and then you make the other body go limp. Great job 14!
+ Strome played a pretty damn good game on the whole sheet. Of course the announcers want the Islanders to STAND OUT… but nothing is said about the fact that a team of AHLers and guys who will be in small canadien markets playing junior hockey in 10 days held a Flame team to about 4 good scoring chances.
+ Cappy and Dean C. should get some credit for a job well done.
+ Nabokov looked pretty good in teh crease
- Nabokov looked pretty bad outside the crease.
- Koskinen is slowly working his way to a Walbaum’s near you. He’s a natural for stacking the cereal boxes that nobody else can reach… and that’s about it. If he ever does make it to the NHL full time, it won’t be at the NVMC.
+ Liked what I saw from Marty Reasoner… it’ll be fun to see who he winds up with. I bet he slides all over the depth chart and does an acceptable job anywhere he goes. I’m starting to expect a younger Mike Sillinger, little less grit, little more speed.
- Losing Rhett and Juce in a pre-season game. Rhett is really starting to scare me… and Jurcina is just back on his regular schedule. Jurcina is going to be important… and this year is important to Rhett… I hope they are just minor injuries and they were held out as a precaution.
+ Ullstrom really looks like an NHL ready asset. I want to see him with NHLers, I really think he can contribute.
- Snow v Sutter. Was this lineup a direct answer to Sutter. We lose Frans when he’s with the Devils because his son skated with his head down int doug weight, then when he’s with Calgary Phaneuf creams Kyle with a borderline 10 gamer(Shanny Rules) that nobody in the NHL offices even talks about.
I have to think that a lineup without the top two lines, and top 4 defensemen is saying, but with Trevor, Haley and Dibo is saying… “screw me once, shame on you, screw me twice… you’re getting on my nerves, screw me… oh no this isn’t happening a third time”. If that was Snow’s rational, I’m cool with it… otherwise, I’d like to see Strome, Kabanov and some of the other elite prospects mixed in with vets throughout the pre-season… I am not a big fan of the blind leading the blind.

To overvalue preseason activities over NHL behavior and to reward Staios (Likely to be terrible, no future) and lose Wishart (chance to be good, plenty of future ahead of him) is just stupid.

This is the same type of stupidity that made Tallon waive Grabner.